News

Spanish TV keeping children up late say parents

Jesus Vazquez, who presents La Voz Kids, the children's version of the Spanish spin-off of The Voice.

Spanish television networks are keeping children up late, according to the television viewers’ association in Spain, Asociación de Usuarios de la Comunicación.

The viewers’ representatives are angered by the 10.00pm start times of children's TV shows such as La Voz Kids (The Voice Kids) and MasterChef Junior and are demanding that broadcasters schedule children's programming much earlier in the night.

The past five years have seen children's shows air progressively later, according to Alejandro Perales, the association's president. Children's channels now start films around 9,30pm. "Then they wake up late the next morning, they don't eat breakfast, they arrive late at school," according to Perales.

TV ratings reveal that nearly 600,000 Spanish children aged four to 12 are watching TV after 10.00pm weeknights.

The children's version of the Spanish spin-off of The Voice aired its final episode last week. "When the show finished around 1.30am in the morning, there were still 130,000 kids sitting in front of their TVs," declared Perales.